Bournemouth 0-1 Manchester City: 5 Hits and Flops as Cityzens cut lead at top to one | Premier League 2023-24

A first-half strike from Phil Foden meant Manchester City took home all three points in their clash against Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.

Following their draw against Newcastle United last week, the Cherries made just a single change, with Lloyd Kelly being replaced by Milos Kerkez.

Manchester City, meanwhile, were coming off a win over Brentford midweek. Pep Guardiola made three changes, with Nathan Ake, Matheus Nunes, and Mateo Kovacic replacing Kyle Walker, Julian Alvarez, and Oscar Bobb.

City began well and took the lead in the 24th minute. Erling Haaland released a powerful shot which the keeper could only parry and Phil Foden was there to tap home the rebound to make it 1-0.

The visitors made a few inroads in the first half and stepped up in their pursuit of the equalizer in the second period. Justin Kluivert, Dominic Solanke, and Marcus Tavernier all had chances but City held on to their one-goal advantage to win the game.

The result means City (59) are a point behind Liverpool (60). Here are five hits and flops from the game:

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#5 Hit - Ederson

The Brazilian made some key saves to ensure Manchester City kept a clean sheet against Bournemouth. He pulled off smart stops to deny Kerkez in the first half and Solanke in the second, while also looking comfortable in distribution. He finished with four saves and completed 11 long balls.

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#4 Flop - Matheus Nunes

Despite the likes of Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish, and Oscar Bobb being available, Pep Guardiola made the bizarre decision to play Nunes on the left wing. The call did not pay off as the summer signing struggled to have an impact before being subbed off for the Belgian. Overall, he had three dribbles and created one chance in his 63 minutes of action.

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#3 Hit - Manchester City midfield

City's midfield pairing of Rodri and John Stones had a strong outing in the center of the park tonight. While the Englishman served as the engine, covering huge amounts of ground, last week's goalscorer Rodri put in another calm and composed performance. They combined to complete over 92 percent of their passes (129/140) and 14 passes into the final third.

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#2 Flop - Erling Haaland

It continues to be a patchy run of form for the Norwegian since his return from injury in January. He has bagged just three goals in seven games in that period and seems to have lost some of his sharp finishing skills. On the night, he had four shots (two on target) and was largely anonymous apart from his shot eventually resulting in the goal.

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#1 Hit - Phil Foden

Foden has been impressive this season for Manchester City. He now has 16 goals and 10 assists this season. On the night, he was the side's best attacker, linking up well with his teammates. He finished with four shots (three on target), seven passes into the final third, and created four chances.